Convertible chair.



A. RBISMAN. CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

APPLICATION IILED .AP,.R .15, 1910. 983,768.

s s" 11m-SHEET 1.

/1 I lf/l1 V/"m l ,Y y :a 11

AITOR/VEVS Patented Feb 7, 1911.

A. RBISMAN.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR. APPLICATION rILEp'APR-15, 19 10.

Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E 3 t w' m IIJ' fns'vvnms PETER: cq., wAsmNafoN, n. c

A. REISMAN.

CONVERTIBLE GHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1910.

Patented Feb. 7, 1 91 1.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 3.

.M ....l ...5 M. W w

ATTORNEYS ADOLPH REISIVIAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 7,1911.

Application filed April 15, 1910. Serial No. 555,671.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLrH RnrsMAN, a subject of the King of Hungary, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Convertible Chair, of which the following is a Jfull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to convertible chairs, my more particular purpose being to provide a chair frame with rockers which may be swung into two diiiferent normal positions, so that the chair as a whole may be used as a rocking chair or as an ordinary chair, the device being provided with a seat movable into either ot' two normal positions according to the form assumed by the chair.

My invention further relates to various constructional features employed in convertible chairs for the purpose of increasing` the efficiency of' the same.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures,

Figure 1 is a perspective, showing my device employed as a rocking` chair; Fig. 2 is a perspective, showing the device used as an ordinary chair ot the non-rocking type; Fig. 3 is a substantially central vertical section through the device when used as a rocking chair; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 ot E ig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the parts as they appear when the device is used as in Figs. 2 and 5; Eig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, looking in thc direction of the arrow; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 7 is a detail showing in perspective the sliding seat, the plush covering shown in the other figures, however, being in this instance removed.

At 3 are two front posts and at 9 are two back posts. Extending from one of the back posts to the other are boards 10 together forming a back rest. Extending from one of the front posts 3 to the other are two cross pieces 11. Each front post 8 is connected with one of the back posts 9 by a beam 12 and extending upwardly from each beam 12 is a beam 13. Engaging the two beams 13 is a cross piece 14. Extending from each front post 8 to the corresponding back post 9 is a side rail 15 having grooves 16, the two side rails at their mid`dles being supported upon the beams 13.

Below each side rail 15 is a spacing block 17 as will be understood from Fig. 4. A

seat board 18 is provided with a plush sur- -face 19 and is adapted to engage the side rails 15, as hereinafter described. At 2O are side rails, each located parallel with and in close proximity to one of the side rails 15. Each side rail 20 is provided with a groove 21, each side rail 15 being similarly provided with a groove. The side rails are further provided with vertically disposed grooves 22a merging into the grooves.

The seat board 13 is provided upon its opposite edges with tongues 22 and with lugs 23@- adapted to fit either groove 21 or 22a. Each lug 23L is of a width slightly less than the width of the groove 22a. The grooves 21 are provided with upwardly turned portions 24 which register with the grooves 22a, as will be understood from Figs. 3 and 4. Mounted upon each front post 8 is a spring pawl 25 and upon opposite ends ot' the upper cross beam 11 are pawls 26 for limiting` the travel of the seat board, as hereinafter described.

Each front post 8 at its bottom is provided with a mortise 27 and mounted within this mortise and connected with each post 3 is a hinge 23, of which there are two. Rockers 29 are connected with the hinges 23 and are so disposed that when the parts are in the positions indicated in Fig. 4, the front portion ot' each rocker 29 is flush with the adjacent edge of the corresponding front post 8. Cross bars 30 extend from one rocker 29 to the other.

rlhe rear posts 9 are severally provided with shoulders 31 and the rockers 29 are provided with bevel faces 32 adapted to tit snugly against these shoulders. At 33 are two beams which, because of their shape and the work they perform, I designate as locking beams. By aid of hinges 34 these locking beams are connected upon the back posts 9 in such manner as to swing into the positions indicated by dotted and full lines in Fig. 4. Each locking beam 33 is provided with a shoulder 35 having a slightly arcuate form,- as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the shoulder 35 having the same curvature as the rear end of either rocker 29. The purpose of this arrangement is to enable the rockers to be folded or inclined upwardly, as indicated in Fig. 4, and the locking beams 33 closed, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 4, so that the shoulders 35 lodge directly against the rockers and hold the same rigidly in position. The rockers 29 are provided with notches 36 into which may be litted the lower ends of the back posts 33, as indicated in Fig. 3. At 36at are hooks which are pivotally mounted upon the back post 33, and at 37 are staples carried by the rockers and adapted to be engaged by the hooks 36a.

At 38 is a latch bar which is mounted upon a pivot pin 39 carried by one of the locking beams 33. This latch bar extends directly across the chair and is provided with a slot 40. A pin 41 is mounted upon the locking beam 33 and is adapted to engage the free or loose end of the latch bar 38 so that the slot 40 may pass over the pin 41, as indicated in Fig. 5. At 42 are fastenings for holding the locking beams 33 against and rigid relatively to the back posts 9, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The operation of my device is as follows: The chair has two normal conditions represented by Figs. 1 and 2. Vhen the device is used as a rocking chair as indicated in Fig. 1, the seat board 18 is in the lowermost of its two positions-that is, in substantial alinement with the groove 21. The seat board 18 is now a few inches lower than the side rails 15 which are therefore adapted to serve as arm rests. The other condition of the chair is represented in Fig. 2, in which the rockers are folded so that the chair assumes the usual non-rocking type, the rockers now being folded and locked in position and the seat board 18 being in the uppermost of its two positions-that is, flush with the side rails 15. IVhen the device is employed as a rocking chair, as in Fig. 1, the locking ends of the locking beams 33 abut against the upper edges of the rockers, so that the superincumbent weight rests directly upon the rockers. The latch bar 38 now extends directly across the chair and assists in holding the locking beams 33 in the positions they respectively occupy.

Suppose, now, that the operator desires to convert the chair into the form shown in Fig. 2. I-Ie loosens the fastenings 42 and grasping the latch bar 38 swings it upwardly upon the pivot 39 as a center. He next turns the locking beams 33 upon their hinges 34 into the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. Next grasping the seat board 18,

the operator slides it well out in the direction in which the chair faces so that the lugs 23a pass forward until flush with the vertical groove 22a. The operator next raises the seat board bodily upward, the lugs 23a passing up through the grooves 22a and into the groove 23. 'Ihe seat is next pushed backward until it occupies the position indicated in Fig. 4. The rockers 29 are now swung upwardly at their rear ends until the bevel faces 32 engage the shoulders 31. The locking beams 33 are now swung back into the position indicated by full lines in Fig 4, after which the latch rod 38 is swung downwardly and across so that the notch or slot 40 registers with the pin 41. This braces the two locking beams 33. The fastenings 42 are next secured so as to hold the locking beams 33 rigidly in position. This completes the transformation of the chair which now appears as indicated in Fig. 2.

In order to restore the chair back to its condition indicated in Fig. 1, the reverse process is pursued. The locking beams 33 are loosened and swung outwardly into the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4; the rockers 29 are swung downwardly so that the lower ends of the rear posts 9 rest in the notches 36; the seat board is drawn forward, forced downward and then pushed backward. The fastenings being all attended to so as to assume the various positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, the device may now be employed as a rocking chair.

The spring pawls 25, 26 prevent the removal of the seat board from the framework. The lugs 23a serve as a limiting stop for preventing excessive travel of the seat board backward in relation to the frame. 'Ihese lugs 23a lodge against the rockers 29 when the parts are in the positions indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. The lugs 23L lodge against the rear posts 33 when the seat board is in the position indicated in Fig. 3, thereby serving as a limiting stop.

I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement shown, nor to the exact mecha* nism herein disclosed, for the reason'that reasonable changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a convertible chair, the combination of a frame portion including back posts, rockers connected with said frame portion and adapted to swing, and locking beams mounted upon said back posts and adapted to swing relatively to said frame portion, said locking beams being provided with portions for engaging said rockers.

2. In a convertible chair, the combination of a pair of front posts and a pair of back posts, said back posts being provided with shoulders, rockers connected with said front posts and adapted to swing, said rockers having bevel faces for engaging said shoulders of said back posts, means for holding said rockers in such position that said bevel faces engage said shoulders When said roekname to this specification in the presence of ers are not in use, and looking beams contwo subscribing Witnesses. neoted With said back posts and mounted to f swing,l relatively thereto, said looking beams ADOLPH REISMAN 5 being provided with portions for engaging Witnesses:

said rockers While the latter are in use. VVALTON HARRISON,

In testimony whereof I have signed my l PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS. 

